Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 118: Advancement, the Ruler of Kanto!

They won!!!

"The Seidou High School baseball team, facing off against Inashiro Industrial High School, battled through nine intense innings, with the final score settling at 1-0. The victors are..."

"Seidou High School, representing West Tokyo!!!"

As the announcer's voice faded, the die-hard supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team stood up, their excitement palpable.

They raised their hands high in the air, waving them enthusiastically, eager to convey the overwhelming joy they felt in this moment.

"Amazing!"

"Especially that final pitch—absolute perfection!"

Two outs, bases loaded. At the time, Furuya's condition didn't look great, to be honest. The fans in the stands were on edge, truly nervous for Furuya and for the Seidou team. They knew all too well that one small mistake could reverse the score.

They were incredibly tense, their breaths heavy and hearts racing. But, fortunately, the final outcome spared them all the worry.

As the fans cheered, the Inashiro players still seemed stunned, unable to process what had happened. They stared at their opponents in disbelief, their eyes full of questions.

What had just happened?

Even as the game officially ended, they couldn't fully comprehend.

In the batter's box, Harada stood, dazed. The players in Inashiro's dugout wanted desperately to go up to their captain and ask him: What happened just now? Why did their cleanup hitter swing at such an obvious ball?

Harada could have let that pitch go by. But after seeing their captain's expression, the players decided to hold back their questions.

The game was over.

As for the issues they encountered during the game and the areas they need to improve, there's no rush—they'll have time to review and reflect in the days to come.

On the other side, in Seidou's dugout, every player sprinted out, all heading toward the pitcher's mound. The fielders also rushed over, gathering together at the mound in celebration.

For the past several years, Seidou High's baseball team had never made it all the way in various tournaments. Either they fell in the semifinals, quarterfinals, or, at best, suffered a bitter defeat in the finals.

At first, neither Seidou's players nor its fans paid much attention to this streak. They believed their shortcomings were simply due to a lack of skill, not some kind of curse.

But after a streak like this, even the least superstitious players began to wonder: Was something off with their team's luck or even their destiny?

Otherwise, how could Seidou High be struck with misfortune year after year?

Without a clear answer, the players naturally started blaming fate. It was an easy explanation that lessened the burden of guilt but also encouraged complacency.

It's similar to online writers who, once used to writing 3,000 words daily with ease, might start writing just 2,000 words when they realize they can still meet their goals that way. It's not due to any other reason—it's simply inertia setting in.

Some of Seidou's players have developed a similar mindset. They seem almost resigned to defeat, and this acceptance of failure has become Seidou's biggest challenge.

Fortunately, though, it's a challenge they can overcome.

Just like now—Seidou High's baseball team had triumphed as champions of the Kanto Tournament, seizing a gleaming championship trophy from Inashiro Industrial High School.

This was a powerful new beginning, one that would inspire Seidou's players to reshape their outlook.

"We won!"

"We're the champions!!"

On the pitcher's mound, nineteen Seidou players were celebrating, huddled together with radiant smiles on their faces. Only those who experienced it firsthand could truly feel the pride and joy they held inside.

In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka watched Furuya, now surrounded by his teammates, with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Did we actually win?"

Letting Furuya pitch through to the end, Kataoka had braced himself for the worst. But switching to Kawakami at that point would have been an even greater risk, leaving Kataoka with no choice but to rely on Furuya to finish the game.

As their team's future ace, whether or not they won this game, pitching through to the end would be essential to Furuya's growth. Yet, even Kataoka hadn't truly believed they could pull off a victory in the end.

And yet, they did.

"What a miracle kid!"

For someone as reserved as Kataoka, calling Furuya that was high praise, let alone what others thought.

Seidou's players gathered around Furuya in the center of the team, eyes filled with a mix of wonder and awe.

At first, they were all thrilled about the victory.

However, Seidou's players weren't just any ordinary players.

While they'd rarely won championships at Seidou, most of them had been outstanding players in middle school and were no strangers to victory.

So, once the initial excitement of winning the Kanto Tournament title faded, they calmed down and began thinking about that final pitch.

Especially Miyuki.

The questions racing through his mind easily outnumbered those of his teammates.

Furuya's pitch just now was nothing like the strategy they'd discussed. If Furuya had followed their original plan, given Harada's power in that swing, that ball might have left the park entirely.

In that case, the score would've been 1-4, with Seidou trailing by three runs. Although Seidou still had one last chance to bat, it was clear that with Narumiya on the mound and pitching as he was, not even Seidou's core hitters would be able to score three or four runs off him.

If that had happened, Seidou would've lost, with no way to turn it around.

So, to put it bluntly, Furuya's last pitch was the turning point of the game.

Miyuki desperately wanted to know how he had sensed the danger and how he'd managed to change his pitch location on the fly.

"Can you explain that to me? I went through a similar situation last year during Sawamura's showdown with Azuma-senpai. But Sawamura has a rare natural talent—his wrists are incredibly flexible, allowing him to change pitch angles even after starting his throwing motion as long as the ball hasn't left his hand."

As Miyuki said this, he looked at Furuya thoughtfully.

Though Furuya was also exceptionally gifted, his strengths lay more in his explosive power. In this way, he and Sawamura were on entirely different paths.

Furuya could throw pitches over 150 km/h—a speed that Sawamura, even with all his might, would never reach.

In the same way, some things that came naturally to Sawamura were simply beyond Furuya's reach, no matter how hard he tried.

"It's strange," Furuya admitted, "but as I was about to pitch, I had this feeling that if I threw according to our original plan, the ball would definitely get blasted out."

At that moment, Furuya had indeed felt that the ball was bound to be hit, with a vivid image of it happening.

Every detail was etched into his mind, as if throwing the ball would instantly turn those images into reality.

If he'd already thrown several balls and was at risk of walking the batter, he might've ignored the feeling.

In a situation where there was no room for retreat, he'd pitch to the end, even if it didn't feel right.

Changing the pitch at the last second would only invite more risk, and with his current stamina, Furuya might not have been able to sustain it.

But he wasn't in that position. Before the last pitch, he was leading with two strikes. He didn't mind if he threw a ball. With such a bad premonition, he naturally wouldn't take unnecessary risks.

"But even if you sensed danger and forcibly changed the pitch, wouldn't that just result in a wild pitch…"

Miyuki swallowed as he said this.

Could they afford a wild pitch at that critical moment?

Of course not.

The score was close, and Inashiro's bases were loaded.

Even the slightest chance at offense would send them charging home like mad.

If they managed to score, the game would turn in Inashiro's favor.

So, with Furuya unwilling to throw a strike, it seemed his only option was to pitch a ball that would bounce right before home plate—a much more difficult throw than a regular pitch.

"How did you pull that off?"

Now, not only Miyuki but also the rest of Seidou's players were filled with curiosity.

"My changeup isn't made by changing my grip or throwing motion. I release the ball early instead," Furuya explained. "And since I can release early, I can also delay the release. By timing it just right, I can throw a bouncing pitch that lands perfectly in front of the plate."

"Wow!!!"

Furuya's explanation was clear and concise, and his teammates quickly understood. Their response was one of pure admiration.

"No wonder you led an unknown team all the way to the Hokkaido finals back in middle school," someone remarked.

Even Inashiro's players had been curious. Seidou's players, too, had never fully understood how Furuya managed to achieve such accolades.

During middle school, Furuya wasn't able to pitch with his full strength. So how did he guide his team forward under those limitations?

Seeing Furuya's changeup in action, they finally got it.

They'd been shortsighted before.

For others, such a feat might be impossible. But if it was Furuya, he'd definitely pull it off.

That's the charm of Furuya Satoru!

"Don't say that. Our coach and teammates were all dependable. They worked hard, too..." Furuya modestly brushed off the praise, unwilling to take all the credit himself.

Though he had indeed been the backbone of his middle school team, without his teammates' help, he couldn't have even competed, let alone achieved any results.

After the celebration, both teams gathered at the center of the field to bow to each other.

"Thank you for the game!"

"Thank you for the game!!!"

Inashiro Industrial High School proved themselves worthy of their title as West Tokyo's reigning champions. Despite losing, they showed impressive sportsmanship. There were no tears or signs of defeat on their faces.

As they shook hands, Harada gripped Furuya's hand tightly, refusing to let go. Furuya remained unfazed. Although Harada had a more imposing build, sheer strength wasn't a problem for Furuya. Anyone who could throw a 155 km/h pitch wasn't likely to be outdone in grip strength.

After a moment, Harada's face paled, and he reluctantly released Furuya's hand.

"Thank you for the game, senpai!" Furuya said with a smile.

"Who would've thought? Even Harada-senpai got bested!" muttered Narumiya, whose mood had been downcast after their loss.

But Narumiya wasn't too upset; he had only allowed one run throughout the game. He couldn't be blamed for the loss, and at least he didn't bear the full burden. But watching Harada, who had always held his own on the field, clearly agitated was a bit of a shock.

After all, Harada had been outmatched by Furuya every time they clashed. Their captain had never experienced such a one-sided defeat.

"Congratulations, Miyuki," Narumiya said earnestly as he shook hands with him.

"Thanks! We'll keep working hard."

"Hard work won't be enough! You can have the Kanto tournament title, but come summer, you won't be so lucky."

With that, Narumiya turned his gaze toward Furuya, a glint of determination in his eyes.

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